4th Grade Kanji: Entering a New World of 202 Characters!
Hello, 4th graders! In 4th grade Japanese, you will learn a total of 202 new kanji. While they might have more strokes (the lines used to write the characters) or more complex shapes than the ones you learned in 3rd grade, don't worry! Once you master these 202 characters, you’ll be able to express your feelings more precisely and read more challenging books.
It might feel difficult at first, but let’s take it one step at a time. This notebook summarizes key points to help you learn 4th-grade kanji efficiently and enjoyably.
1. Key Features of 4th Grade Kanji
The kanji you learn in 4th grade have several major characteristics. Keeping these in mind will make your studies much easier.
① Kanji Used in Prefecture Names
The most distinctive part of 4th-grade study is the kanji used for prefecture names. For example, characters like "茨" (Ibaraki), "媛" (Ehime), "岡" (Okayama/Shizuoka), "阜" (Gifu), and "埼" (Saitama) are included—characters you don't often write in daily life. A good tip is to learn these alongside your social studies map work.
② Learning by Meaning Groups
In 4th grade, you will see an increase in words that support daily life and more abstract (invisible) concepts.
・Kanji related to the body: 腸 (intestine), 胃 (stomach), 脈 (pulse), 鼻 (nose), 副 (side/assistant), etc.
・Kanji expressing states or feelings: 希 (hope), 望 (wish), 勇 (bravery), 害 (harm), 冷 (cold), etc.
・Kanji related to social systems: 議 (discussion), 選 (selection), 挙 (election), 票 (ballot), 府 (prefecture/government), etc.
【Tip】
Instead of memorizing kanji one by one, grouping them by "meaning categories" makes it much easier for your brain to organize them.
2. Break Down the Kanji! The Power of "Radicals" (Bushu)
Kanji are made by combining several parts. If you focus on these parts (radicals), you will find that memorizing 4th-grade kanji becomes much easier.
Representative Radicals and Meaning Connections
- "Nikuzuki" (月 - flesh radical): Often related to the body.
(Example) 腸, 胃, 脈, 胸, 腹 - "Shinnyu" (辶 - road radical): Related to roads, walking, or moving forward.
(Example) 辺, 選, 連, 達, 逆 - "Sanzui" (氵 - water radical): Related to water.
(Example) 漁, 泣, 滋, 治, 浅
Fun Fact: The "nikuzuki" radical looks like the moon (tsuki), but it has a different origin! It actually evolved from the character for "meat" (niku), which is why it's used in kanji related to the body.
3. Common Mistakes and Points to Watch (Avoid Errors!)
Here are some points that are easy to get wrong on tests and homework. Just being a little conscious of these while writing will help you avoid losing points!
① Distinguishing Similar Kanji
・"未" (not yet) and "末" (end): In "未", the top bar is short; in "末", the top bar is long. How to remember: Think that "mirai" (future) hasn't arrived yet, so the top bar is short, while "shuumatsu" (weekend) is at the very end, so the top bar is long.
・"健" (healthy) and "建" (build): The "健" in health has a "ninben" (亻), but the "建" for buildings does not.
② Proper "Tome" (Stop), "Hane" (Hook), and "Harai" (Sweep)
Because 4th-grade kanji are more complex, the details are checked more strictly.
・"改" (revise): Make sure to do a solid "harai" (sweep) on the right-side part.
・"信" (trust): Be careful with the length of the horizontal line in the "ninben" (亻).
【Common Mistake】
There is a very common mistake of using the "koromo-hen" (衤) instead of the "shimesu-hen" (礻) on the left side of "祝" (celebrate). Remember it by thinking that you don't need "clothing" (koromo) to celebrate!
4. Tips to Make Kanji Study Fun
Just writing them over and over can get boring. When that happens, try these methods:
① Look Up the "Origins"
When you know how a kanji was created, you can remember it like a story. For example, the character "鼻" (nose) was created by combining the shape of a nose (when pointing to oneself) with the character "自", which represents breath.
② Find Them in Daily Life
4th-grade kanji are everywhere in town—not just in your textbooks, but in news subtitles, store signs, and snack packaging. Every time you think, "Oh! I learned that character in class!", your memory becomes more solid.
③ Make Compound Word Quizzes
Try to see how many words (compounds) you can make from a single kanji.
(Example) "愛" (love) → 愛読 (avid reading), 愛情 (affection), 愛車 (beloved car), 愛用 (favorite/habitual use)
5. Summary of This Section (Key Points)
・There are 202 kanji in 4th grade! Focus on the prefecture kanji.
・Understanding the meaning of "radicals" (parts) makes shapes easier to remember.
・For similar kanji (like "未" and "末"), learn the differences as a set.
・Cultivate the habit of writing carefully by focusing on "tome, hane, and harai."
Consistency is key in learning kanji. You don't have to memorize them all at once. Every character you learn today will surely expand the world of words available to you. Let’s enjoy the process as we learn!